Save these February Dates 

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

Tuesday, February 13, 5pm-7pm  

Ash Wednesday Liturgies - February 14

12:00 pm - Saint Mary's Church

7:00 pm - First Lutheran Church

Lent Flicks and Luncheon

Sundays at 12:00 PM beginning Sunday, February 18 

Annual Meeting Sunday - February 25

9:00 am - Combined Service of Holy Eucharist

10:15 am - Annual Parish Meeting in the Church

11:30 am - All Parish Brunch in Walden Hall

A solar eclipse is scheduled to occur over Cape Cod

on Monday, April 8, 2024 at 3:30 pm

Creation Care Column

In August of 2017, Dixie and I threw caution to the winds and did something we had never done before; we booked a flight to Columbia, South Carolina to see a total eclipse of the sun. Just as predicted, at the precise hour of totality, the moon blotted out the sun. The temperature dropped. The birds stopped singing. The stars came out. For a few minutes the

world changed; and then it was over….

Until this year, when North America will again experience a total solar eclipse – the last in North America for twenty years, and the first visible across the entire continent in more than a century. Think of it as a chance to reflect on the staggering improbability of our existence here on what Carl Sagan called a speck of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

Consider the odds: Out of billions upon billions of possible combinations, a planet whose sole satellite is exactly 400 times smaller than its star and exactly 400 times closer, so that each time the moon passes between the earth and the sun, it covers the face of our star perfectly, thrusting our little planet into a kind of midday night, something both surreal and sublime.

Randomness seems too small a word for the staggering improbability of a total solar eclipse. We might call it a miracle. We might call it mystery. We might just reflect on all the

miracles that surround us every moment of every day. The simple fact that we are here at all – that there is something rather than nothing; that we’re here on this little speck of dust, most of which is covered by liquid water – which astronomers have found nowhere else in the universe!

Consider the odds. Then fall on your knees in awe and wonder.

Pastor Russ

Entering Into Lent

Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun,

Which was my sin, though it were done before?

Wilt thou forgive that sin, through which I run,

And do run still, though still I do deplore?

When thou hast done, thou hast not done,

For I have more.

Wilt thou forgive that sin which I have won

Others to sin, and made my sin their door?

Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun

A year or two, but wallow’d in, a score?

When thou hast done, thou hast not done,

For I have more.

I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun

My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;

But swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son

Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore;

And, having done that, thou hast done;

I fear no more.

John Donne (1573-1631)

This text, set to a tune by John Hilton (1599-1657),

can be found at Hymn 140 in The Hymnal 1982.

A Prayer for Black History Month

Spirit of Abundance, God of Grace, Mother of Hope,

We pause now to remember those stories that are all around us,

But so often passed over,

Those stories that when told are shared because

Of what someone is, not who they are.

This month in our nation's character

Is Black History month.

Help us to realize that Black history is

All our histories.

May the day come when these stories

Are so wildly taught that no month need

Be separately divided.

We know this day will not come until we as a people

Make different choices.

We pray now for those new choices.

May we come to see a day where the prison system

Becomes redemptive, not punitive.

A day where the legal system learns to focus more squarely on the facts,

And the not colors of our skin.

A day where our schools are as well funded, as the needs demand.

May our role models be allowed to excel when they thrive,

And not be taken down for their rich heritage.

We know this will require a shift in power.

And this can be scary for some.

Give those full of fear - hope.

May we come to know grace,

So that our hearts will not be hardened to the pain around us.

There are so many beautiful stories needing to be told.

And we need to get the chance to hear them.

Widen our vision so that the history that is shared this month,

And every month,

Come to be known as our history too.

We are most human when we see the humanity in others.

- Author Unknown

Pastoral Care

This month your Pastoral Care team is sharing an article on the power of food as medicine. The wisdom of the old adage, " You are what you eat" is proven more each day by the latest Scientific research. Please click here to read the article entitled, Can Certain Foods Really Reduce Your Cancer Risk?

Lutheran and Episcopalian Friends

We continue to build our collaboration and friendship with the First Lutheran Church in West Barnstable. You are invited to participate in the following regular meetings at First Lutheran Church:

• Tuesdays - Silent Meditation Group meets at 12pm 
• Wednesday Nights - Sacred Journey (Via Sacre) Worship Service. Potluck Supper at 6:00 PM and Worship at 7:00 PM

Please click here to read the minutes from the January 2 meeting of the Lutheran Episcopal Friends Group

Learn more about everything that is happening at First Lutheran Church by visiting their website.

AGING GRACEFULLY - LIVING LONGER LIVES

This month Pastor Russ is sharing an inspiring article from Douglas Penick entitled:

A Few Thoughts on This Admission: I Am Old.

Please click here for the full article.

Renovations at the Rectory

In recent years the Rectory has been rented to Independence House to shelter women in transition. As that lease comes to an end we need to make the house available should a new rector wish to live there. We are taking the opportunity to upgrade the kitchen and the bathrooms, improve the light in the dining room, paint all the walls, maintain the exterior trim, and give the yard much needed attention.

The first step was deconstruction. In appreciation of all St. Mary’s has done for Habitat for Humanity, Habitat gathered a group of sixteen volunteers to do the demolition work on Monday January 29th, affording the church substantial savings. The work crew included six men from St.Mary’s. The Buttercup Cafe opened early to launch them, and Bev Parke provided lunch for the team. Peter Wagenblass has organized this endeavor and will continue as Clerk of the Works. Peter Scarafile will revive the Low Bid Paint Crew to paint throughout. We are most grateful to all involved.

Work will continue through February and March (probably into April) both indoors and outside. Judy Knauer, Beth Hearn, Christine Wagenblass and Helen Malone are working on interior design: fixtures, cabinets, paint colors. The yard too will need work; volunteer opportunities are plentiful!

Valentines for Veterans

We are collecting valentines for our local veterans and those in active military service. These can be handmade or purchased. Deadline is Feb 5. If interested please contact Judy at:

 [email protected] 

Movie Theology's February Film

Join us this Sunday, February 11 at 3 pm in Walden Hall, when we will screen “Roise and Frank”.

Please click here to read about this delightful film. We hope to see you there!

The EfM program is designed to help Christians prepare for their ministry. It is that vocation for which we pray at the end of the communion service: “And now, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.”

During the service of Confirmation, we ask God to “Renew in these your servants the covenant you made with them at Baptism. Send them forth in the power of the Spirit to perform the service you set before them.” EfM offers an opportunity to discover how to respond to the call to a Christian life.

Video Streaming

We are looking to train more people for video streaming. If you are interested in joining this ministry please let Allison know and she will arrange for you to train at your convenience. You do not need to be a technology wizard at all. This is an important way for us to reach people outside the walls of our church. Thank you in advance for considering this.



Legacy Giving - 1891 Society

When we look back on our lives, we think of those people and places that have meant the most to us. Has Saint Mary’s Church been such a place for you? Has this community of grace and its

people nurtured your soul? Would you like to assure that the ministries of our Church which proclaim the love of God in Jesus Christ in word and deed continue for future generations? If so,

please consider joining the 1891 Society and becoming a legacy donor.

Thank you,

Click HERE to learn how you can join the 1891 Society

Vestry Minutes

Please click here to read the Vestry minutes from the December 14, 2023 meeting. Please note that minutes are not published until approved at the subsequent Vestry meeting.

Coming Events

No Place For Hate Workshop - LAST CALL!

Time: February 4th, 2024

Soup and Bread 12:00

Workshop 12:30-2:30 pm

Location: First Lutheran Church, 1663 Main Street Route 6A West Barnstable, MA 02668



There are still a handful of spots left in the NPFH workshop. Consider pledging to participate in this important workshop as a way to mark Black History Month. Click here to sign-up.



An Invitation from the Yarmouthport Historical Society

Newport Gilded Age Of Color - 2024 Winter Lecture Series

Sunday, February 4 - 3:00 PM

Keith Stokes presents, Newport Gilded Age in Color

In the late 1800s, Newport, Rhode Island, became a magnet for leading African heritage families attracted to the numerous business opportunities to create wealth and also take part in the many civic, social, recreational, and religious organizations active during the era.  Men, women, and families of color would travel to Newport from Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington to participate in a rare opportunity for persons of color for unrestricted social and cultural interchange. This unique opportunity in 19th-century America was duly noted in the Colored American Newspaper in Washington, DC, in 1886, stating: "If there was a watering place in America where respectable, refined, and well-bearing colored ladies and gentlemen have as little reason to feel their color as in Newport."

Keith Stokes is presently Vice President with the 1696 Heritage Group, a historical consulting firm dedicated to helping persons and institutions of color to increase their knowledge and access to the light of truth of their unique American heritage. He received his formal education from Cornell University and the University of Chicago, and his informal education from the whispered, long-shared stories of ancestors dating back to before the American Revolution. Keith is a 9^th-generation Rhode Islander who has spent four decades in public service there, in both elected and gubernatorially appointed positions, and has also served on numerous local, regional, and national business and public boards. He frequently appears on national historical programs, including C-SPAN, Fox News Legends & Lies, and Ted Talks. He is passionate about his heritage, his family, and his extended clan of Pit Bull dogs.

REALM Training Session

We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a training session on our REALM - ACS Technologies. Please join us on Sunday, February 11 at 11:30 AM in Walden Hall. Please let Allison know if you will be able to attend. Participants should bring their cell phones, laptops or other devices on which they plan to use REALM.

Saint Mary's Annual Meeting February 25, 2024

You are all encouraged to attend our Annual Meeting this year, immediately following the 9:00 AM Worship service at approximately 10:15 AM on Sunday February 25. The meeting will be held in the church to ensure their is enough seating for all. We will review the Annual Report, approve the 2024 Budget, and elect various parish leaders. The Annual Meeting is a celebration of all Saint Mary's is as well as an assessment of the health of our community and a celebration of all we are and all we do.There will be a celebratory brunch in Walden Hall following the meeting.

The Return of our Lent Flicks & Luncheon series:

All are warmly welcome to join us in Walden Hall on Sunday afternoons throughout Lent for a simple lunch of soup and bread followed by a movie and stimulating theological discussion. Our Lent Flicks will begin after Ash Wednesday, on Sunday, February 18 at Noon. We have a fabulous line-up of films selected. All are warmly welcomed. Please sign-up in advance here to help us know how many for lunch.

Thank you!

If you are interested in helping make soup or bread for one of the Sundays please contact Marian Ferguson.

Angels Treasures is on Facebook!

Angels' Treasures re-opened this Wednesday! If you are on facebook please take a peak at our Angels' Treasures Facebook page. We will try to keep the feed fresh with photos and information highlighting the constantly changing inventory. Please check out our Facebook Page Here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553985862261

Like It and Share it with friends near and far. We will not be selling items online yet but we will be marketing them to help spread our reach. Thank you for helping us with this mission.